People are saying Kate Middleton paid tribute to Kamala Harris with these earrings

Last week's inauguration was historical in many ways, including bringing its sartorial mojo back to Washington. It was noted that Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris all wore purple, a symbol of the merging of Democrats and Republicans, whose colours are red and blue.

Poet Amanda Gorman's words stole the show, as did her Prada headband, JLo wore Suffragette white and Lady Gaga nodded to peace with her incredibly large gold dove brooch.

And royal fans are saying there may have been another sartorial tribute we missed on this side of the bond. On 19th January, the day before the inaugural, the Duchess of Cambridge took to Zoom to thank nurses at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust for their hard work during the pandemic.

A photo posted by on

Kate looked sober in a white shirt and navy blazer, but it was her earrings that got everyone talking. They were the same Simone Rocha faux pearl drop earrings that she wore for her birthday portrait (pictured above).

Fans are saying that this is a subtle endorsement of the new Vice President of the United States, as Kamala Harris is known for her love of pearls, whether they're on earrings or a necklace.

In fact, on inaugural day, she wore a pair of statement pearl earrings (with a matching necklace), which bore a striking resemblance to Kate's.

Proving she's just like the rest of us, she even took them off later that day, presumably as they were so big they were beginning to be uncomfortable to wear.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.

She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.